MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Our Long Awaited Mississippi River Cruise

When I had posted on October 15, about my Bridal Gown, the one that I made myself, I was going to lead you into this very post.

But things happened and we had to take a detour...

My dear husband Pieter had severe heart issues but for now, he is stable again.

So let's go back to that post, where I also showed a photo of my late first husband Frans, see link below this post.

It was through him, that our Long Awaited Mississippi River Cruise became reality.

One never knows if from heaven there still are messages delivered... One surprise was that from the Graphic Sector I did receive a pension on behalf of my late husband, in a lump sum due to the limited time he'd worked there.

So we could start planning our long awaited Mississippi River Cruise with American Cruise Lines newest paddlewheeler America, launched in 2016. Click the link for actually seeing the America on the Mississippi.

Even if it was a dreary looking day when we started out, here I am looking happy.

This dream took only 29 years, from March 7, 1988 till July 8 of 2017!
Starting our short 5-day cruise: Highlights of the Mississippi...

This time I had to drive the approximately 950 km all by myself as Pieter is no longer driving long stretches. With one stop at a hotel in Alabama, we made it to the INTERCONTINENTAL New Orleans Hotel's Classic Room where we stayed the night of July 7, before embarking on our cruise.

InterContinental New Orleans Classic Room's Desk.

A perfect shower at this InterContinental New Orleans, Classic Room.

Convenient towel bar on sliding door...

Handlebar in shower.
One can easily pick up ideas from such great hotels.

While I just relaxed and checked my MacBook, husband Pieter walked around the block.
As you can see, the InterContinental is located close to Lafayette Square and right in the center of New Orleans.

Top right you see my MacBook and the lower part of the building at top left is where we parked our car. Just crossing the building and than crossing the street with our carry on.

What would we do without our iPhone?
Car parking left and to the right you see the InterContinental New Orleans.

The Tower makes you exit just across from the InterContinental Hotel, very convenient.

Always make sure to check your surroundings!

Weather on July 7, 2017 when we arrived in the afternoon. Every afternoon thunder...
High humidity too in New Orleans area!

After a good breakfast buffet we arrive at the cruise terminal by bus.

Husband Pieter hardly can stand still for a picture, he's ready to embark on our new adventure!

Happy Pieter in front of the America Paddlewheeler.
By the way, the paddlewheel is only added for nostalgia and it is in fact a very high tech, modern river boat!

The blue dot is where we embark on our America cruise ship...

Again the blue dot where we embark.
You clearly see the mighty Mississippi river weave like a snake through the land...

Here you see the Planned Cruise Itinerary
We got on board before lunch and departed at 1:30 PM

There we go...

In the front you can see the walk bridge for disembarking at the various stops.

Our Ports of Call
New Orleans, LA
Houmas House, LA
Baton Rouge, LA
Oak Alley, LA

Every meal was a joy and the service was of the highest standards!

Welcome Aboard Your Mississippi River Cruise
Highlights of the Mississippi
Small Ship Cruising Done Perfectly

Stay tuned for our first stop...

Related links:
My Sewing Creation - My Bridal Gown with Damsel Sleeves | previous post by me
The Roosevelt New Orleans with View of Mississippi and French Quarter + New Orleans Cooking School | previous post by me
7th North American Mushroom Conference at The Roosevelt in New Orleans | previous post by me

Sunday, February 4, 2018

The Roosevelt New Orleans with View of Mississippi and French Quarter + New Orleans Cooking School

Okay, in my previous post I did write about the reason for ending up at The Roosevelt in New Orleans. So let's look around a bit in this remarkable city.

We did stay for one night at the Howard Johnson, Downtown New Orleans.

Next day after Mass, at the Moorish Jesuit Church across the hotel, we did walk with a Dutch business friend and a Chilean business man to French Quarter.
We moved to The Roosevelt in the afternoon.

On the wall to the left are the letters The Fairmont, as The Roosevelt was still called on March 6, 1988.
But our view was spectacular!
The mighty Mississippi river...

This photo is a bit more zoomed in.
We viewed actually the New Orleans Cruise Terminal!

Right from the back of our hotel.
2nd from right is the Sheraton hotel.

To the left is the Marriott and to the right the Sheraton, as we walk on Canal St. near Carondelet St.

French Quarter with its typical balconies and lots of wrought iron.

Husband Pieter took this photo as we stand here on 500 Bourbon St, New Orleans.
The Chilean gent to the left and Dutch business friend Anton van Overveld, from ALCOA in the center.

Yep the exact same sign from Chris Owens, 500 Bourbon St is still hanging there!
From Google Street View, click on link.

From the same link here above, you get a perfect view of what I was looking at in the above photo.
A bit scared for those protruding balconies with tables and chairs of Bayou Burger Balcony Dining!
The sign from 1988 with Takee Outee is gone...

La Louisiane Restaurant at 725 Iberville Street, built in 1837... It was open from 1881 till 2005.
You do have the feeling that you're back in the Old World, in France!

Crossing of Iberville and N Peters Street.

Yep, this Google 401 Iberville St New Orleans Street View shows it still is there!
Click on link to be shown the exact wall in photo.

A bit around the corner shows you this Google 199 N Peters St New Orleans Street View, just click it.
We're walking towards the Mississippi River...

Near the cruise terminal at the mighty Mississippi river...
The Chilean gent to the left of me.
That day I had a perfect Spanish speaking adventure; good practice!

Pieter is now showing the other side, with the Mississippi river and the bridge in the back.

While Pieter took the above photo, Dutch business friend Anton van Overveld took this one with Pieter in it, to the right of me.

Happy together on the mighty Mississippi river...
Such a perfect sunny Sunday in March!

Dreaming of one day being able to make a cruise with such a boat...
On Monday, March 7, both of us had early breakfast with the conference participants and while Pieter did prepare for his lecture in the afternoon, I joined the Grand Tour bus at 10:00 AM and got to see beautiful New Orleans, together with Peter and Els Janssen, from my hometown area.

Card bought: Jackson Square with its famous General Andrew Jackson on his bronze horse statue set against the
beautiful Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis King of France
This is the oldest Catholic cathedral in continual use in the United States.
Daily Mass is at 12:05 and I wish we could have had time for that.
By 12:30 we had all lunch at the Roosevelt hotel with all conference guests.
Also would love to visit the Old Ursuline Convent Museum...

Card bought: Creole Queen on the Mississippi river against Chalmette Battlefield monument.

Card bought: Steamboat Natchez a Harbor Jazz Cruise would have been fun!
That afternoon, Pieter did present his lecture and I also was successful selling my own design, brass mushrooms for window decorations, see link below post: My Own Design of Brass Mushrooms.
On Tuesday, March 8, we did have the exhibition opening after a lunch buffet and in the evening Grand Ball with Dinner.
On Wednesday, March 9, after breakfast I went by bus at 10:00 AM to the New Orleans Cooking School where we learned to make Gumbo and Jambalaya and ate that for lunch...

Still have this great apron that was included for wearing while preparing our food!
Just click on above link, you can have this HANDS-ON CLASS still today, ever since 1980.

By 15:30 we were in our car and drove the 590 miles or 950 km home to Dublin, Georgia and arrived on Thursday at 2:30 in the morning.

Thanks for your visit!

7th North American Mushroom Conference at The Roosevelt in New Orleans | previous post by me

{My Own Design of Brass Mushrooms} | my previous post by me

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

7th North American Mushroom Conference at The Roosevelt in New Orleans

On Friday, March 4, in 1988 we had dinner with our dear friends at our home in Dublin, Georgia.

We did inform them that Campbell Soup was forcing us to move to the Reading, Pennsylvania area...

SAD

On Saturday, March 5, we left by car at 9:30 AM for New Orleans, Louisiana and with once stopping for gas and twice for eating a bite, we got there by 7:15 PM (there is 1 hour time difference). It was 590 miles or 950 km.

Husband Pieter had to lecture at the 7th North American Mushroom Conference.

We did live at that time in our previous home, at 304 Fairmont Drive, Dublin Georgia/USA.

The Conference was being held at The Fairmont Hotel...

Yes, The Roosevelt New Orleans, used to be called The Fairmont back in the 1980s.

It has been our privilege for having known it in its full glamour!

The Roosevelt still looks just like the Fairmont in the 80s, it has been restored after Hurricane Katrina damaged it severely in August of 2005.

Across from the street is the in 1851 established Immaculate Conception Jesuit Parish by Jesuits from Lyon, France.

The present, rebuild Church (1929) is in Moorish architectural style and is really beautiful.

We did go to Mass on Sunday morning at 9:30 AM and talked with the priest who had served on Dutch ship, The Rotterdam and he'd visited over 50 countries. Such a wise man and I've mentioned him in a previous post, see below under Related link.